Need Advice on how to ship processed beef to my kids

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SRBeef

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We just had several head processed and the meat is wonderful. We are in the Midwest and I have kids with families in Colorado and Washington DC area. I would like to ship a split half (about 120 lb) of this great beef to each them. It is frozen. I could ship smaller quantity I guess.

Have any of you found a way to ship it quick enough so it doesn't defrost before it gets there as they will need to keep most of it frozen for awhile longer?

I was thinking about purchasing a couple large picnic-type coolers and maybe putting some dry ice in there with the beef.

Would you ship this UPS? May take 3-4 days by ground. Or I could put the coolers in a skid box at work and ship it by LTL truck (CCX?) which would be 2 days for sure but tough for them to pickup at terminal....

How have others done this? With grandkids, babies and another on the way we may not be able to get the whole family together for a while. Would like them to have some of our good beef for the holidays.

Any ideas or experience? How do the online beef sellers ship theirs?

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We do have lot to be thankful for.
 
I'm thinking that there's a regulation of some kind about shipping with dry ice? It seems like it can't be sent throught the mail for some reason.

Why don't you call either UPS, or Mail Boxes, etc. and ask them. I bet they can tell you. Shipping overnight would be the key, but it will be expensive for that much weight.
 
I would be really interested to know what you find out on this, keep us posted please?
 
Ship it air freight counter to counter , if you live near an airport ship it via air cargo. You can call the airlines that fly between you and your kids and check in to it. You ship it they go pick it up at their airport.
 
Dry ice is used all the times in shipping injectables etc. Omaha Steak Company ships all their steaks that way.....If you are talking about processing into the various cuts and shipping it that way I'd vacumn seal it, put it in a thick sided cooler with the dry ice and ship it. They'll love you for it.
 
I'd skip the idea of shipping a quarter or half of frozen beef. Container and stuff would eat you alive in charges.

Otherwise, consider shipping a selection of 20 to 25# of cuts that have already been vacuum sealed and frozen. Pack in styrofoam container with dry ice. Put container in a cardboard box. Ship UPS 2 day or next day (if destination available for next day).

Post office has strict limits on amount of dry ice.

Expect to pay up to $1.00 to $2.00 a pound (or more) for the container weight. To ensure the meat arrives still frozen...ship 2 day air maximum. Ship only Monday thru Wednesday to "guarantee" will arrive by Friday at latest. Make sure the recipient will be available for the delivery...unless freezing weather outdoors there...lol.
 
Running Arrow Bill":jon10hh7 said:
I'd skip the idea of shipping a quarter or half of frozen beef. Container and stuff would eat you alive in charges.

Otherwise, consider shipping a selection of 20 to 25# of cuts that have already been vacuum sealed and frozen. Pack in styrofoam container with dry ice. Put container in a cardboard box. Ship UPS 2 day or next day (if destination available for next day).

Post office has strict limits on amount of dry ice.

Expect to pay up to $1.00 to $2.00 a pound (or more) for the container weight. To ensure the meat arrives still frozen...ship 2 day air maximum. Ship only Monday thru Wednesday to "guarantee" will arrive by Friday at latest. Make sure the recipient will be available for the delivery...unless freezing weather outdoors there...lol.

Bill,

I will take your advice and not ship the entire split but just pick some cuts - no need to send the soup bones!

I had the processor vacuum pack in kryovac so the meat is sealed and well frozen. One of my sons just told me he has ordered some Chicago "Italian" beef from Portillo's (a Chicago area Italian beef sandwich landmark) and it came as you described. Vacuum packed in a styrofoam cooler with dry ice and then inside a cardboard box. The package was then sent UPS second day air early in the week, also as you suggest.

Basically - selected, sealed (not paper wrapped) cuts sent in a cooler with dry ice (CO2) and sealed inside a heavy cardboard box with crumpled paper filler between and sent by 2 day service EARLY IN THE WEEK seems to be the solution.

Thank you to all.
 
Thanks for this thread, I have found it to be very helpful. I too have some out-of-state family that would love some good beef. I tried talking with a couple of 'all-your-shipping-needs' type of places and was unsuccessful. What bill has suggested was what I figured I would resort to. Thanks RunningArrowBill.

Now my question is, where do i get dry ice? :help:

Katherine
 
Workinonit Farm":5oroq5c5 said:
Thanks for this thread, I have found it to be very helpful. I too have some out-of-state family that would love some good beef. I tried talking with a couple of 'all-your-shipping-needs' type of places and was unsuccessful. What bill has suggested was what I figured I would resort to. Thanks RunningArrowBill.

Now my question is, where do i get dry ice? :help:

Katherine

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=dry+ic ... fr=hp-pvdt
 
TexasBred":24tu2jh9 said:
Dry ice is used all the times in shipping injectables etc. Omaha Steak Company ships all their steaks that way.....If you are talking about processing into the various cuts and shipping it that way I'd vacumn seal it, put it in a thick sided cooler with the dry ice and ship it. They'll love you for it.


I have always wondered how they do that ..How much extra does it cost TB for it to be shipped that way ?

SRBeef you truly spoil your family .. :)
 
OMG.. PORTILLO'S ships Italian Beef??? I grew up outside of Chicago, and LOVED to go to Portillo's! I had no idea it had gotten so popular you could buy it and have it shipped! Whohoo! One of the things I miss about moving to Texas.. Italian Beef, and Eli's cheesecake! ;-)
 
baxter78":3auvhysc said:
I checked into it as some relatives in Texas wanted some of my beef. Fedex and UPS both wanted about 1500 dollars to ship it and that was non refrigerated. If I wanted refrigerated truck I would have to pay nearly 3,000 dollars to ship 600 pounds of beef.

I'm going to send about 50 or 60 lb by UPS this coming week. I'll post the total cost when I get done.

However if I was going to ship a whole beef like your 600lb from KS to TX I would kryovac it at the processor, freeze it rock hard, buy enough coolers to hold all the beef and dry ice in each, ship all of the coolers on a standard 48" square pallet either in a standard skid box or shrink wrap the whole skid and send it CCX truck freight from the terminal nearest you to the terminal nearest them. CCX (or they go by Conway) is nation wide and extremely fast and reliable LTL service. I would estimate a 700 lb skid from KS to TX will take no more than 2 days terminal to terminal and cost you under $400. You can give them a call and get a quote and terminal locations.

Here is the CCX homepage. They have a terminal locator page online.

http://www.con-way.com
 
SRBeef":sd71en5h said:
baxter78":sd71en5h said:
I checked into it as some relatives in Texas wanted some of my beef. Fedex and UPS both wanted about 1500 dollars to ship it and that was non refrigerated. If I wanted refrigerated truck I would have to pay nearly 3,000 dollars to ship 600 pounds of beef.

I'm going to send about 50 or 60 lb by UPS this coming week. I'll post the total cost when I get done.

However if I was going to ship a whole beef like your 600lb from KS to TX I would kryovac it at the processor, freeze it rock hard, buy enough coolers to hold all the beef and dry ice in each, ship all of the coolers on a standard 48" square pallet either in a standard skid box or shrink wrap the whole skid and send it CCX truck freight from the terminal nearest you to the terminal nearest them. CCX (or they go by Conway) is nation wide and extremely fast and reliable LTL service. I would estimate a 700 lb skid from KS to TX will take no more than 2 days terminal to terminal and cost you under $400. You can give them a call and get a quote and terminal locations.

Here is the CCX homepage. They have a terminal locator page online.



http://www.con-way.com

Yep but then you know TTCLM, et all, always has more expensive problems tha the rest of us :D :D
 
How's THIS for a much cheaper way to ship couple hundred pounds of frozen beef or so:

Load it in your truck, hit the road, can haul it up to 500 miles one way one day, return the next day! You donate beef to family or so, they pay for your fuel to haul it to them. Or, have them meet you halfway and transfer load to their vehicle.

With gas/diesel much cheaper now... Well, you get the idea.

Anything under 70 lbs or so...well just do 2nd day UPS.

;-)
 
There are carriers that run refrigerated trucks (0 degrees F). Much more reasonable than UPS or FedEX, no need to worry about the whole dry ice extravaganza... and believe me, it is wacky as to regulations that will be accepted by the U.S. Post Office versus what can be shipped on an airline... did I mention that due to the 9/11 anti-terrorism regulations that unless you've shipped something directly with an airline regularly prior to 9/11/01 you would have to contact a company that has to "package it and ship it for you" which drives up the cost.

Tips:

1. All packages should be stamped "Not for Sale" -- otherwise you will have to get USDA paperwork for e-coli free, etc. etc.
2. Schedule WAY in advance like 2 to 3 weeks prior
3. Go from business property to business property... the costs go up for "residential" shipping

Good luck and your family will love it. Ours does.
 

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